Thunder Strike Kills 11 Selfie Takers in Indian

By Izunna Okafor

At least eleven persons taking selfie have been struck dead by thunder lightning, which also left many others injured in India.

According to reports, not less than 30 people were on the towers of the 12th-century Amer Fort in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan when the lightning strikes occurred, out of whom eleven people were killed instantly by the strike while seventeen others sustained varied degrees of injuries, with  were injured, with three in critical condition.

The fort, which gives a panoramic view across Jaipur, was packed with tourists on Sunday. When the lightning struck near Amer Fort, people were said to be taking selfies close to the watchtower, while some jumped to the ground after the strike, according to local media reports.

Senior Jaipur police officer Saurabh Tiwari said: “It was already raining when the people were there. They huddled in the towers as the rainfall intensified. Some of the injured were left unconscious by the strikes. Others ran out in panic and extreme pain.”

Emergency teams were on the scene on Monday, checking whether any victims had fallen into a deep moat on one side of the watchtowers.

Elsewhere on Sunday, lightning strikes killed around 10 people in the desert state of Rajasthan, while at least 42 died in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, according to authorities.

Lightning strikes hit several states across India during the thunderstorms and killed around 63 people in total, authorities confirmed on Monday.

Hundreds of people in India are killed each year in thunderstorms at the start of the monsoon season, which bring respite from the summer heat across the northern Indian plains.

In his reaction, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said special payments would be made to the families of people who lost their lives, as he offered condolences.

The office of the Prime Minister tweeted: “The Prime Minister was briefed about the loss of lives and damages due to lightning in parts of Uttar Pradesh. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.”

There have been warnings of more lightning in the next two days from the India Meteorological Department.